The Plateau State Government has pledged to foster peace and ensure the security of lives and property of citizens.
Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Philemon Dafi gave this indication after an emergency security meeting presided by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Josephine Piyo recently at Government House, Little Rayfield, Jos.
The emergency security meeting was at the instance of Governor Caleb Mutfwang with the Deputy Governor presiding.
The meeting was to review some security issues and respond to a publication alleged to have emanated from the Inspector General of Police declaring resumption of the former elected Local Government chairmen, councillors in the state.
Briefing news men shortly after the meeting attended by heads of security agencies in the state and the Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Gyang Buba, the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Philemon Dafi said government has taken all measures to safeguard lives and property of citizens and workers of all the 17 Local Government Councils.
“Government decided on the points of actions that we have resolved as a sensible and responsible government, we are going to engage in a lot of consultations with all security agencies in the state to foster peace,” Dafi stated.
He said the application for restoration by the former Council Chairmen and Councillors was still pending in court and urged all parties to maintain the status quo and remain calm.
“But you know the then Commissioner of Police, not this one, had already ordered that the LGAs be shutdown. So, I said as the Attorney General, I can’t sit down and watch the Commissioner of Police do that. He does not have the power to close the Local Government. So, we went to Bukuru Upper Area Court and prayed for an order to open up the Local Government and the court heard our prayer and granted our orders, he stated.
“This is our order” , he displayed it before the newsmen. They agreed with us that yes, the LGs should be opened up and this order was served on the Commissioner of Police. This order was served on the Inspector General of Police on the 15th of August 2023. It was served on the National Security Adviser, it was served on the Director of State Security Service, it was served on the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation. So, everybody was aware of an order that LGs in Plateau should be opened, ” he explained.
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice further gave some clarifications on the former Local Government Chairmen. He explained that the State House of Assembly in its own wisdom invited the LG Chairmen to come and explain issues pertaining to appropriation of law and expenditure in the LGC. They issued the first letter, they refused to come, they issued the second letter, they refused to come.They issued the third letter, they ignored. The House of Assembly in its own wisdom, decided it was going to suspend the LG, passed a resolution actually that it was going to suspend the Chairmen and actually suspended them, ” he stated.
The Commissioner of Justice also disclosed that the IG of Police, Kayode Ogbetukun was yet to respond to the publication.
